7 cars that aged better than we expected

When you live and breathe vintage machines, it’s easy to neglect a car’s original context. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow, for instance, was one of the first cars designed with aerodynamics in mind, but it looked so foreign that buyers gave it the cold shoulder. The 1951–54 Nash-Healey was a very early example of the Anglo-American sports car, but it was prohibitively expensive for many people. Later riffs on the formula, like the Chevrolet Corvette, completely overshadowed it.

That sort of thinking led us to this week’s staff list, which focuses on cars that aged better than most expected. While some were polarizing at their debut and enjoy general acceptance now, others simply seem to get better-looking as they age, even if they were well regarded upon their debut.

Check out our candidates below, and then tell us about yours in the comments!

Porsche 928

There are so many vehicles that fit this mould, and I wager that it’s often because they were ahead of their time. Sometimes it’s the styling, the engineering, or the fact that it pushed the envelope for what we expected from the brand at the time it was new.

That’s why I am going with the Porsche 928. There’s little doubt this water-cooled V-8 Porsche was objectively better than the 911 in many (every?) metric when it hit the scene in 1978. I should probably leave it there: The Case Is Closed.

But the era of the small, lightweight, air-cooled Porsche ended decades ago. What we have now are modern Porsches that feel much like a 928: refined, balanced, quiet, and comfortable at any speed. It’s different from the isolation felt in a Mercedes or even a BMW of the era, as the 928 feels connected and always ready for action. Even better, it’s a feeling much like that of a late-model Porsche 911. Well, except for the engine is still in the “wrong” location…just like the engines in those Porsche SUVs that keep the company afloat!

All hail the 928, because it eventually won. — Sajeev Mehta

BMW Z4 M Coupe

I don’t know anyone who swoons over its looks, but I think time has been kind to the BMW Z4 M Coupe. Less polarizing than the Clown Shoe that preceded it, the Z4 M nonetheless wrapped love-it-or-loathe-it flame surfacing over its more traditional sports car proportions. As sports cars have gotten ever-angrier and bedecked with creases and grilles and gills, the Z4 M feels almost elegant. Its long hood, swooping roof, and simple character lines get the job done. — Eddy Eckart

Toyota FJ Cruiser

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ve really started to warm to the 2007–2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Yes, it was lambasted for blind spots the size of Texas. Yes, the styling is polarizing, and the tiny half doors aren’t efficient for ingress and egress. Yes, it gets terrible fuel economy. But underneath, it’s still basically a Toyota 4Runner, which means it will go as long as you will and then a few miles more. I’m looking at a picture of one as I write this, and while I’m half laughing at it, I’ve also kind of come to adore the fact that it looks like exactly nothing else on the road. It’s like a concept car snuck out of the design lab at night and hopped onto an assembly line without anyone noticing! — Nate Petroelje

Third-Gen Nissan Maxima

One car that seems to get better-looking with age—or at least every time I see one, which is not often anymore—is the third-generation Nissan Maxima. This was peak Nissan, as far as I’m concerned, and compared to the Maxima that preceded it and those that followed, there isn’t a bad line on these cars. The V-6 SE wasn’t blisteringly fast or a skidpad champion, but the “four-door sports car” did a little bit of everything well, and it could certainly put a smile on your face if you got into it. In concert with the Z32 300ZX and D21 Hardbody pickup… what a perfect trio, then and now. — Stefan Lombard

Jaguar E-Type (S1)

So many cars, so little space. My honorable mention is the 1984 Chevy Corvette, the first C4, which just doesn’t look 42 years old. First runner-up: The International Harvester Scout 80, which debuted in 1960. So clean, so purposeful, so classic: I have one, and every time I walk up to it, I smile a little.

I only wish I’d owned an example of my winning design; I tried once, but couldn’t close the deal. I was just 16, and don’t know if it would have been for better or worse, but I know my life would have been different had it worked out. The car? A 1967 Jaguar E-Type coupe, but for purposes of this exercise, I guess we need to refer back to 1961, when the Series 1 was introduced. I’m not sure how a design can be so exotic but still emotionally attainable. And if you are willing to settle for the much-cheaper 2+2 model, it remains literally obtainable, and even the two-seaters aren’t outrageous: An identical twin to the ’67 that I mooned over just sold on Bring a Trailer for $68,500, or $64,800 more than the one I tried to buy. Sherman, fire up the Wayback Machine! — Steven Cole Smith

1983–88 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

This reflects my personal, rather than the general, opinion, but I was never a fan of the 1983–88 Monte Carlo SS (or the other similar G-body cars) until I started to age in a noticeable way. While my body was falling apart, I began to see the beauty in the sharp lines, and these days I have to stop myself from poking around Marketplace listings, purely to save my bank account. — Kyle Smith

Ford Flex

I own a 1986 Volvo 240-series station wagon, which is even boxier, and thus even better, than the contemporary sedan. Given my love of this Swedish “brick,” it will surprise no one that I also like the Ford Flex. It has all the curvaceousness of a GE refrigerator. That shape isn’t purely an aesthetic statement, either, because it’s the most efficient shape for a three-row vehicle designed to haul stuff and people. I love this era of Ford styling: the Flex, the Fusion, and the Edge, to name a few, were retro-modern in a minimalist, monolithic way. And Ford had some great, chunky, chrome-y wheel options around this time. I’ll take a Flex in Burgundy Velvet Metallic, please, with the 14-spoke painted aluminum wheels, and live my best boxy-car life.

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